Introduction
Cat01
ATI is releasing its monthly desktop graphics-card driver update today,
and
we're now up to Catalyst 9.3. The latest iteration of supporting
software comes with a difference: built-in support for Microsoft's
upcoming operating system, Windows 7
Both
NVIDIA
and ATI already have drivers for the beta version of
Windows 7, released to the public at the start of the year, but, now,
ATI is claiming official support with Catalyst 9.3 - the first unified
Vista/7 software package.
Microsoft's Vista introduced a new driver standard, Windows Display
Driver
Model (WDDM), which used DX9-class compatibility to render the desktop
-
Aero Glass, Flip3D, etc. - in 3D glory. Windows 7 harnesses WDDM v1.1,
which uses some nifty DX10.1 effects and considerably better memory
management to boot, especially with multiple windows open concurrently.
The bottom line is that well-tuned Windows 7
drivers should be at least as fast as Vista's, along with better RAM
regulation by the operating system.
We're taking a look at ultra-high-end graphics-card performance from
both NVIDIA and ATI, in the form of GeForce GTX 295 and Radeon HD 4870
X2, respectively, to see how both companies latest Windows 7 drivers
are shaping up when compared to incumbent Vista's. Who's ahead, who
needs significant work? Let's find out.
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